I'm freaking out, I found a lump, no Dr. appt. til monday

eeeeek! comfort would be gratefully accepted. :scared:

Added: and it was a REALLY crappy week even before this. :-(

:hug:

It's ok.

:hug:

It's probably nothing.

:hug:

You'll go to the doctor and it'll be fine.

:hug:

Just go in there prepared. All I have to say. I think you'll make it through.

Most breast lumps are benign. Isn't it awful that you have to wait till Monday?

The darn thing is about the size of a thumbnail, VISIBLE and dark PURPLE. This surely isn't what people have been warning about but it is scary.

Added: almost far enough down not to be not on the breast. It looks sort of like a blood blister, but much firmer.

Cause the purple makes it sound like it might be filled with a bloody fluid, I get them in um...other regions.

but like everyone says, most are benign. But waiting is sooooo hard.

Sending you courage and strength.

but an abssess it might be. These things don't usually jump out at you from what I've heard... Else why would we have to go through that horrid squashing procedure periodically.

sounds like a dumb question perhaps, but could it be a blood blister from your bra?

if I'd ever had one to burn. (not completely true, I owned enough to know they were WAY to uncomfortable to actually wear. Much less a torture device with wires!)

I've got one too. Just had it X-rayed and it's not being caused by a foreign object.

Is there a clinic you can go to? Does your famaly have a history?

I'm probably just being hysterical cause it's been such a bad week in so many other ways. No close relatives with a history.

here is a :hug: and another :hug:

DDQM

be strong my sweet

:hug:

and I don't even play one on tv,

but the ENORMOUS percentage of lumps are benign. So you might have to accept the fact that you're no longer 'perfect' but that is almost sure to be the ONLY thing you'll have to accept.

You're just more like a bowl of mashed potatoes than you used to be.

I wish you the very best, and TRY not to spend too much time worrying about it - it will make you into a wreck (I know, easy for ME to say).

Katy :pals:

I'm 46, this potato has been mashed and lumpy for quite a while. :-)
Thank you and everyone else for the comfort.

I know that this is not a medical support or expertise board, but I just need to talk about this and don't want to scare my daughter or family right now, want to wait on any of that.

-don't 'freak out' until you have a reason to freak out.

You could have fibrous tissue in your breast--we all do, but some women have larger amounts that others.

For example, I have very fibrous breasts, and often feel what could be 'lumps' but are just excessive connective tissue in the breast.

Also, as we age, the number of excessive connective tissue can increase---so maybe you weren't so 'lumpy' 4 years ago, but you are now.

You mention that it's dark purple---could be a busted blood-vessel under the skin.

You could have a cyst (collection of fluid under the skin)

You could have an ingrown hair that has been ingrowing for quite some time and has built up a cyst in the breast tissue.

There are NUMEROUS things that it could be---and yes, cancer is one of them, however, it's more LIKELY to be something begnign and not related to cancer than it is to be cancerous or cancer-related.

Do you notice a discharge from your nipples? Give them a squeeze to see if anything comes out.

Does your breast-skin look like the skin of an orange? (pitted, large pores, cracked)?

Is this the first time that you've noticed this lump?

If you're very worried about it, call Planned Parenthood. They will do free (or very, very low cost) breast examinations for you, and at least can give you peice of mind until you see your regular doctor. At least going to PP, you'll be SEEN by a Doctor who can say "yes, this is normal" or "how about we schedule a mammogram just to be sure".

Good luck!

Take a deep breath, most of them are not cancer. I've had three non-cancerous lumps removed over the years. You are doing the right thing by seeing the Dr. as soon as you can. Until then, do some positive imaging....see yourself in the Dr.'s office and him/her telling you "you have nothing to worry about, this lump is not cancer." Do it over and over and over.
I will keep you in my thougths and send positive images your way. Keep us posted.
:hug:

But, you found it. That's the good thing. I'll be thinking of you and hoping all is well.

Laura

of course, a lot has changed since the, but from what you describe, I would not be too worried.

In any case, by the time Mon rolls around, there will not be enough time for anything to reach critical mass. The worst thing you have right now is fear, and it is unfounded at this point. Deep breaths, relax....stress will just make lose sleep, and for nothing at this point.

Sending :hug: and visions of cool grassy meadows in the breeze.

"worry is interest paid on a debt you may not owe"

i have a lump on my shoulder, it's a fatty tumor, or a "lipoma"

Statistically, most are benign. By "most", I mean the overwhelming majority.

The reason why you should pay attention to them is that most (again, the overwhelming majority) cancers start out as lumps.

Take care of it, but don't freak out. Monday is soon enough.

--bkl

I've been there many times.

Fortunately, nothing significant is going to happen between now and Monday. Even if it is the big C, four days won't make a difference one way or the other.

Still, the first time is really, really scary.

:hug:

Ditto everything everyone here has said. Hang in there!

:grouphug:

I had a friend who found a lump , and it
turned out to be nothing.

this is why it's so important that we do
our self exams .

:loveya:

Most of these things turn out to be harmless - really. I've had two cysts over the past decade or so. I really know that chilling, pit-of-the-stomach feeling you must be having. I'm sending you some positive vibes and comfort. Take care of yourself this weekend, and try to do something nice for yourself, even if it's just a little thing. And please let us know how your appointment goes on Monday.


:grouphug:

I wish I could thank everyone here individually. You have all been wonderful and reassuring. I will breath deeply and just wait to see what the doc says. It is so helpful to know that I could let this out here, (realizing this isn't the usual fun lounge subject) and recieve such support. Just letting it out helped relieve my anxiety level greatly. I will let you all know the results.

we are all here for you. :)

cut down on fat intake, honey. hang in there. waiting
is the worst part. {{{HUGS!}}}

can easily remember how totally terrified I was. I had to wait a week for results and it was utter torture. Mine was benign, and yours is most likely benign, too, since most lumps are. Hang in there, and do nice things for yourself over the weekend.

Doctor Nay orders you to go to a restaurant you have always wanted to go to and have a fabulous meal. Then work all day on your favorite hobby and to hell with housework, yardwork, etc. That's an order.

Are you taking new patients? :-)

Dear Kayell, you are doing the right thing. Be good to yourself over the next few days (and after!). I wish you all the best.

By the way, I have been through several scary medical episodes myself in the last few years, and each time the problem in question was either A) something benign or B) extremely treatable.

You are doing the right thing.

was what I was going to say. (Good job, H!) Especially the discharge and orange peel appearance part. And what everyone else has said is so true as well, about most being benign little problems, cysts, etc. I even had a lipoma removed, which was a benign but growing nuisance.

Don't turn it into a weekend of deep contemplation. Go out and enjoy yourself! Get your mind off it. Then you can cry a river of relief on Monday after your exam.

thanks---I enjoy "practicing" the knowledge I've learned whenever possible :) DU gives great opportunities (not that I relish in the suffering of others) but so often people come here, and I'm like 'OOOH OOOH I JUST LEARNED THIS' :)

Signed,
Heddi, Almost R.N.
who (with still 2 years to go), goes over my NCLEX-RN prep-test nightly :)

Does it have defined borders? When you push it from one side does it move to the other side? If so, it could be a cyst. I've had a million of them, and if it is one, don't freak. The doctor will aspirate (stick a needle in it to draw out fluid) it to take the fluid out. It's not as bad as it sounds -- needle stick hurts just like having blood drawn, then it's over.

If they think it's something else: STILL DON'T FREAK OUT! I've gone through two surgical biopsies and am fine (i.e., they found nothing). They want to cover their bases and make sure it is or isn't cancer, but the doctors' desire for a biopsy doesn't mean anything's there. I could go on at length on this topic, but I'll wait to see how things turn out for you. Please post when you have more info, in case some of us have relevant experience to share with you.

Ask many questions, even though you're freaked. It's important to know what the doctors' rationale is for whatever the next step is. Deep breath, and get back to us.

Repeat the *Hitch-Hiker's Guide* motto: DON'T PANIC. If you *just* found the lump - and you've never noticed it before - Monday is soon enough. 90% of all "lumps" (and it doesn't matter where it is and whether you're male or female) are harmless. The ones that are there today, and that weren't there last week are 99% harmless.

Been there, done that. That honking great breast lump that showed up overnight was a weird benign tumor most often found in adolescents (I'm over fifty, but my friends claim I still ACT like a teen-ager). I had every reason to freak out: my mother and grandmother died of breast cancer. My sister survived it with major surgery and chemotherapy.

I beat the odds, when the odds were against me. Six of my friends who found breast lumps did it too. Like me, four of their biopsies were benign. Two of them got not-so-good news. Both of these ladies are still around and nagging me to quit smoking.

Don't ignore a lump, but don't automatically assume it's the end of the world either.

the odds are in your favor! :) Do try to relax until Monday. Think positive. It sounds cheesy, I know, but I speak from experience. I went through something similar, recently, and I literally worried myself into a state of constant, borderline panic. I lost 20 pounds and felt physically ill, all of which exacerbated my anxiety. The lump was in my neck, and it turned out to be an enlarged lymph node (the relief was overwhelming when I saw the doc write "benign" on the intake sheet). I did myself no favors by working myself into such an unhealthy state of mind.

I know it's easier said than done, but harness your mind when it starts to wander into negative territory and redirect it!:) I honestly think we have been conditioned by American media/culture to be negative, worry and assume the worst, when statistics and facts do not support such mentality.

Sending hugely positive thoughts your way! :hug: